Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-05-23

THE ALABAMA ECON.
A YOUNG METROPOLIS SPRINGS UP
WHERE COTTON USED TO GROW.
Iron Ore, Limestone, Clay and Coal In
Close Proximity-An Interview with
an Enthusiastic Citizen Of Americas
Birmingham.
Especial Correspondence
NEW YORK. May Is.
Let US invent the word ''enterpriser;' for
we need it badly. 1t is nearly exact trans
lation of the French entrepreneur, meaning a
man who does things, one who sets great en-
terprises afoot, supplies the plans, does the
thinking and furnishes money or sees that it
is furnished. Just now Alabama has many
enterprisers, and the boom at the magic city
of Birmingham has become a matter of
national interest. Twenty years ago the site
of Birmingham was an old cotton field in a
valley; on both sides rare picturesque noun
tains, for the valley was merely the bottom
of cleft in what biologists call an anti
clinal axis That is to say, the original
strata had been bent and heaved till
they stood like an inverted u. thus n:
then the n had split down the middle
and each side slowly settled back, so the va
rious strata were exposed in sharp edges,
from the latest sandstone down to the silu-
rian, The result is that on the same noun
tain side, in the face of the same cliff, one
finds COAL iron, limestone suitable for duxing
and valuable clays-all in easy reach of the
furnace, to which they come down hill
Hence the boom; hence the great and grow
ing city of Birmingham.
Among the active men Of the magic city il
Col. +. c. Morehead, president of the Ma
tional Cotton Planters association, and wei
known as commissioner general of the New
Orleans exposition. Col. Morehead is in thi>
ciiy for few days, at the Brunswick hotel
where the writer sought him to obtain Il
latest facts and figures on the growth Of AL
bama's industries. In answer to a question
as to whether the boom showed any signs
giving out, the colonel replied:
1.-THE wild speculation in lots is ov.1. u
hone; the rapid exchanges in real estat,, sr,
over for the present uyhow, and the capt.,
once employed in speculation is now going
into business buildings furnaces and other
industrial measures. The ebb in mere specu
lation is great gain to us, as the city is now
gaining faster than ever, both in popul','lou
and wealth. Why, there is more banking
capital In Birmingham than in any city OF
the south except Louisville and New Orleans,
and before the close Of the year we expect to
equal either Of them. 1t was time for real
estate speculation to let up awhile when land
soll ct OF
"Why, how could the buyer get the worth
of bis moneyW
"He las already secured that He is putting
up building which lie has rented in ad vance
for ten years at rates that will pay him 10
per cent. ON the total investment. Yes, in
deed, the decline in speculation has assisted
the real growth of the city. The new build
ings are solid and permanent i'll character,
too"
"What is the populations"
"In the city taxation limits there are IS 600
r"ople, but this excludes fourth or more of
i,'e real city. To encourage the furnaces and
new enterprises the city authorities leave out
all below Fourteenth street and much other
territory; so the real population of the metrop
oils is not less than As OOO When those
neal J mrioted are finished we will have,
by next October, twerty.one large iron fur
naces running in the immediate vicinity Of
the city. One very interesting fact is that
Birmingham's enterprises are nearly all in
the hands Of young men, and chiefly southern
young men. Col Powell is sometimes called
the dscoverer Of Birmingham, as he pointed
out the local advantages and laid off the first
town plot. The young southerners began the
place, but it is now attracting capital from
all parts of the world. 1t cannot fail to do
so for a long time on account of the local ad-
vantages-the coal, iron and limestone so
near together"
"But will these advantages last, and can you
make iron cheapT
"As to the supply of coal and iron, that is
practically inexhaustible; and as to the cheap
iron, l will give you the opinion of one Of the
best iron men in the country, Mr.. Charles p.
Chouteau, of the Iron Mountain works and
the Vulcan iron works at st. Louis. In re-
cent conversation with him he told me that
he had not much confidence in the south's
manufacturing steel, as they would have to
employ the basic process In eliminating the
sulphur, and it would probably prove too ex
pensive; but in foundry pig iron he firmly be-
lieve,l the south would produce it so cheap rs
in few years to shut up the furnaces in the
rest of the country. But Alabama's peculia,
great advantage is in the formation of IN
bills, by which iron ore, coal and limesro,,
lie in close proximity and can he brought
gether at the furnace at trifiing cost. ],
plain to my mind that north Alabama is
tined to he wealthy and populous secti
that it will revolutionize all the central -
ton Of the south, and from there the spi,,,
will permeate all the south. Without dis,
spect to Atlanta, Memphis, Little Rock, DaI
las, Tex, or any other growing city of the
south, am confident that Birmingham has
the resources in its tributary district to out
strip them all and become the great city of the
south. was convinced of this ut the start
so left my home at Vicksburg and chose
Birmingham for my future"
what are you doing in the line of educa.
ton and the arts Of civilzationp
Birmingham has fifteen papers and period.
icals, daily, weekly and monthly-three dali,
papers. Churches and schools are well So.
piled, and our new public buildings are Of
elegant and substantial sort; but the CITY ,,a
ministration is rather behind the growth f.
the town. / mean that street improvem,.t
and public convenienccs are not UP to I
needs OF the population; but we will soa
supply them. The old court house is r.
moved and we are putting up a new AM,
magnificent one, with fine city hall.
81 suppose you are one of the Young soutbp r